Sewing-awl.



G. P. ALTEN.

SEWING AWL.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 17, 1911.

1,009,882. Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

7 9- & I T l'll ll I M 1 x Hill i ll] L. 10 10 1 GEM-mu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE PHILIP ALTEN, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

SEWING-AWL.

Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Sewing-Awl, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in sewing awls.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of sewing awls, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient one, designed principally for leather workers, and adapted to be easily operated and equipped with a brake or tension device, capable of restraining a thread holding spool against free rotation to prevent excessive undesirable slack or looseness of the thread.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sewing awl, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sewing awl. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the handle portion thereof, taken at right angles to Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a sewing awl handle, provided at its outer end with means for clamping an awl needle 2 and having a transverse chamber 8 in its inner portion to receive a spool 4 for holding the thread 5. The handle is also provided with a bore or opening 6, extending outwardly at an angle from the spool receiving chamber and forming a passage-way for the thread 5 to permit the same to extend along the handle from the spool receiving chamber to the awl needle 2.

The spool receiving chamber is cylindrical, and the spool at is provided at its outer Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. May 1'7, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Serial No. 627,867.

end or head, which projects beyond the side or face of the awl, with an exterior annular groove 7, which is engaged by the free end 8 of a spring 9. The spring 9, which eX- tends longitudinally of the handle, is secured at its outer end to the same by a screw 10, or other suitable fastening device, and in engaging the groove of the spool it performs two functions. in the chamber of the handle, and it also bears lightly on the inner wall of the groove of the spool, giving exactly sufficient tension to restrain the spool from turning too fast and preventing loose threads, which would hinder the operator. The free end of the spring is held in position by spaced steel pins 11, embedded in the handle and projecting outwardly therefrom at the side edges of the spring. The spring is adapted to be drawn outwardly, and when carried beyond the projecting portions of the pins, it may be swung laterally on the screw 10 to disengage its free end from the annular groove of the spool. This will permit the removal of the spool.

The thread is drawn from the spool automatically as the sewing progresses. In operating the awl, the palm of the right hand is placed against the inner end of the handle to push the awl needle through the leather, and in pulling back the handle to take out the slack, the middle finger of the right hand is placed over the exposed outer end or head of the spool, thereby giving all the tension necessary to take out the slack. The spool is provided at its inner end with an opening 12 to receive a wood screw, or other fastening means for mounting the spool on a machine for enabling the thread to be wound evenly and quickly in case a great number of spools have to be wound in a comparatively short time.

It will be noted that the groove 7 which the spring engages is arranged beneath the head or outer end of the spool, so as to leave said end or head entirely free to receive the pressure of the middle finger as previously described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A sewing awl including a handle provided with a chamber, a spool arranged partially within the chamber with its outer end or head projecting from the' chamber for the purpose set forth and provided in its It retains the spool outer portion with an annular groove which is arranged beneath said outer end or head, and a spring secured to the handle and having one end free and arranged in the annular groove of the spool to retain the same in the chamber, said spring also operating to exert pressure on the spool to form a brake or tension device to prevent free rotary movement of the said spool.

2. A sewing awl including a handle provided with a transverse chamber extending inwardly from one side of the handle, a spool arranged partially within the chamber and provided at a point short of its outer end or head with an annular groove whereby the said head or end is free to receive the pressure of the finger, a spring extending along the exterior of the handle and secured at one end to the same and having its other end free and arranged in the groove of the spool to retain the same in the chamber and to exert a pressure on the spool to restrain free rotary movement and to prevent slack of the thread, and spaced projections mounted on the handle and arranged at opposite sides of the spring for retaining the same in place, said spring when moved outwardly beyond the projections being adapted to swing laterally to disengage it from the groove of the spool.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own', I have hereto aflixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE PHILIP ALTEN.

Witnesses:

WV. B. /VORTHEM, W. JnssEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

